Mara Larson-Richard

About Mara Larson-Richard

3 different exits (IP exit, PE exit, Strategic Acquirer exit). 3 different journeys as a startup leader (founder, early employee -> Exec, CEO). Advised more than 200 founders over the past 10 years.What generates exceptional value is highly aligned teams. Across my 15 years in the startup ecosystem, the trait that mattered most in determining the success of the teams I\'ve been on is how aligned we are with each other and with our collective objective. Companies which are particularly aligned are significantly more likely to IPO and are dramatically less likely to fail (a Stanford study of 200 start-ups found that none of the companies where leaders prioritized alignment failed within the 8 years of the study. None.) To build disruptive products. To create high-performing, inclusive teams. To grow revenue at an unnatural speed. All of these require tapping into an innate human drive in your customers, and that starts with creating that level of connection within your company. Alignment sounds easy (and obvious) but achieving it is phenomenally difficult, and rare. I invest in those rare founders and help coach those who are trying to build such companies.

Experience

1. Partner

   Angel Invest

   Sep 2023 — Present

   As a part-time investing Partner I\'m investing 5x per year in aligned teams, primarily in AI with a focus on marketplaces and B2B SaaS. We are one of Europe\'s most active angel funds, making 50+ investments every year into European technology startups. Our initial check size is €100k and we invest in Pre-seed and Seed rounds. We actively coach the founders we back for one year and give them access to our networks.

Education

• Columbia University

  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Art History, Criticism and Conservation

• INSEAD

  Executive MBA

  2020 — 2023

• Barnard College

  Bachelor of Arts (BA), Political Science and Government